5 Bands You Can’t Miss at Rock on the Range 2015

Nearly 100 bands will be playing at Rock on the Range this weekend, and the amount of options you have may be overwhelming. So, Metal Injection put together this list of five bands you absolutely must go out of your way to watch them this weekend.

1. The Dillinger Escape Plan

Friday, May 15th at 4:15 p.m.

Ernie Ball Stage

There is no band I have seen more times in my 30-plus years of existence than the Dillinger Escape Plan. That’s because every show is unique. When I say unique, I mean, you really need to pay attention if you’re up front because you might get impaled by one of the crowd-surfing guitarists. Other times, frontman Greg Puciato will decide to climb the highest speaker and jump off of it. If either event happens, it will definitely be one of the highlights of the festival … and you won’t want to miss it!

2. Slipknot

Friday, May 15th at 9:30 p.m.

Monster Energy Main Stage

Chances are that if you’re heading to this fest, Slipknot is already very much on your radar. Even if the music was bad, which it most certainly is not, Slipknot’s live show is absolutely unmatched for pure spectacle. You will never see a metal concert performance quite like this one, and if you are on the fence about the band for some strange reason, seeing them live will certainly make you a convert. There is no denying the heaviness and the aura that Slipknot brings to the stage.

3. Babymetal

Saturday, May 16th at 4:20 p.m.

Ernie Ball Stage

If you consider yourself a true metalhead, and never as much as went to any other type of concert, I highly recommend checking out Babymetal. This full-on legit metal band is fronted by three tween Japanese girls, who sing J-pop inspired vocals over pure death metal. An amazing music mix. They have an entire story throughout the show, choreographed dance moves and best of all, metalheads in the crowd going crazy acting like 13-year-old girls.

4. Judas Priest

Saturday, May 16th at 9:40 p.m.

Monster Energy Main Stage

You don’t earn the moniker of “Metal God” like Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford did without 30 years of knowing how to put on a show. Judas Priest has never disappointed live, especially when they break into their classics like “Breaking the Law” or “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’” while tens of thousands of people sing along. I can’t imagine there is anything of higher priority than witnessing Priest’s album British Steel live.

5. Periphery

Sunday, May 17th at 5:45 p.m.

Jägermeister Stage

If you want to hear what the future of metal will sound like, then you definitely need to carve out some time to check out Periphery. The band helped usher in a new sub-genre of metal called “djent,” a spinoff of progressive metal named after the guitar sound popularized in the genre. But what makes Periphery stand out is vocalist Spencer Sotelo, who croons with the best of them, providing melody and harmony to counterbalance the disgusting beauty of Periphery’s riffs.

All in all, there are plenty of bands besides these five to check out at Rock on the Range, so we’ll see you in the pit.